The number of students achieving A*-A has reached a historic high of 26.3% - a 1.3% increase on last year. 76.3% gained A* to C, the highest since 2009 and the second highest recorded.

Rebecca Evans AM said: “This is a positive set of results across both A-level and Welsh Bacc, and a testament to the hard work and commitment of students and staff.

“I am delighted to see that Wales is outperforming the rest of the UK in terms of grades have awarded at A*. With 8.7% of grades at A*, this is the best outcome in Wales since this grade was introduced.

“I am also pleased to see that the Welsh Government’s focus on STEM subjects is paying off. Maths has the highest pass rate of any key subject, and there have been increases at A* in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. We need the skills to help us compete and lead in the modern world, and the Welsh Government’s reforms are clearly having an impact.”

In the Welsh Baccalaureate, 97.7% of candidates achieved the Skills Challenge Certificate, an increase of 3.7 percentage points from 2017. 80.9% of candidates passed the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate, an increase of 2.2 percentage points from 2017.